Banned Books Week

This year, 2012, Banned Books Week is September 30th through October 6th. This campaign, founded in 1982 and co-sponsored by the American Library Association, celebrates the freedom to read.

Why are books banned?

Books have been banned for different reasons throughout time. The most common reasons have been vulgar language, gratuitous violence and sex, and contrary social and political ideas. Books have also been challenged in schools because of their morbid and depressing themes.

Where are books most commonly banned?

Attempts are made to ban books in schools and in libraries. Sometimes books are challenged by parents who believe that their children should not be made to read a certain book as part of the school’s curriculum. Other times a book may be challenged throughout a school or library because someone or some group believes that no one should be allowed to read the book.

Books are banned in many countries outside of the US because they clash with that country's cultural, social, political, or religious beliefs.

The following is a link to the ALA's list of frequently challenged classics.

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedclassics/reasonsbanned

What do you think?  Is there ever a situation where a book should be banned? Should books have to meet standards of age appropriateness, similar to the movie rating system, to be utilized in schools? Are there ideas that should not be promoted, such as racism, violence or certain religious views?

Is there a difference between challenging the book Satanic Verses in the Wichita Kansas Public Library because the book is "blasphemous to the prophet Mohammed" and Slaughterhouse Five being removed as required reading for sophomores at a high school in Rhode Island after a parent complained that the book contains vulgar language, violent imagery, and sexual content?

Have you read any of the books from the frequently banned books list? What do you think? Was the book appropriate for everyone? If you believe a book should be banned, who should be able to make that decision and for whom?

Banned Books Week Links:

http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/

http://lib.calpoly.edu/books/banned/infographic.php

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek